Belden Namah Attacks Peter O’Neill, Blames Australia

Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the PNG Party, Belden Namah, released this media statement just a few hours ago on the state of PNG Election 2012 thus far.

The media statement itself is nothing short of extraordinary, and I liken it to Bob Carr’s comments earlier this year to “organise the world to isolate and condemn Papua New Guinea” if elections were deferred.

The ramifications of what Namah has said will be substantial, with a response from Australia’s top diplomat in PNG via Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr guaranteed.

It will also test the coalition which has been entered into by the PNG Party and People’s National Congress. I think Belden Namah has just made his first formal move to be the next Prime Minister of PNG:

— PRESS RELEASE —

“Namah Proves His Critics Wrong”Thursday, 28 June 2012

It is a shame that the Prime Minister Peter O’Neil is crying foul when all along he was collaborating with the PNG Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Andrew Trawen and the so-called Australian expert advisors advising through Australian High Commissioner, Mr. Ian Kemish for opposing the deferral of the 2012 elections.

Cries have been received from all parts of PNG echoing and demonstrating that our country was and is not ready to proceed with elections this last week. What a disaster. We have more than two hundred (200) plus Australian advisors working for the PNG Electoral Commission who have assisted orchestrate this disaster. What a shame???

I speak with the weight of facts. In my own Vanimo town urban wards, the electoral rolls there were in shambles. More than 5,000 to 6,000 eligible voters’ names were not on the electoral rolls. This is an urban/town ward. You can expect worse going into the rural districts in the electorates.

The Organic Law on National and Local Level Government Elections envisages under sections 71 and 72 that Electoral Rolls in all its three forms i.e. ‘Preliminary Rolls, Primary Rolls & Certified Rolls’ must be ready three (3) months prior to the Issuance of Writs.

All along I have maintained the fact that PNG Electoral Commission was not ready for the National Elections as provisions under sections 71 and 72 had not been met or complied with. The PNG Electoral Commission is required to prepare and finalise the Electoral Rolls three (3) months prior to elections. However, this issue and concern was overlooked by the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill and his cohorts.

Peter O’Neill denied supporting the deferral of the elections when he had physically participated and voted for the deferral in Parliament (63 FOR and 11 AGAINSTS).

We had on numerous occasions held lengthy discussions on this issue and made couple of propositions. One that the caucus agreed to adopt was the proposition by Hon. Dr. Sir Puka Temu. Sir Puka actually proposed to work three (3) months back from the date of the return of writs. Which should I believe have given PNG Electoral Commission sufficient time to adequately prepare the Electoral Rolls in their certified forms.

O’Neill openly criticized me during his election campaign on my initial call to defer the elections to allow PNG Electoral Commission time to prepare properly. This move was to give all eligible voters a fair and equal opportunity to each exercise their democratic rights to vote and elect their leaders.

Peter O’Neill should be ashamed for listening to the PNG Electoral Commissioner and its Australian Advisors. The Unionist turned Politician and wannabe musician Michael Malabag should be ashamed of himself as-well for pushing for elections using the UPNG students and innocent citizens in his capacity as President of Trade Union Congress with his so-called General Secretary John Paska.

If we continue the trend of forever listening to and following foreign advice we will continue face more problems in the future. I have total confidence in our own home grown Papua New Guinean advisors and I am prepared to listen to them. The sad fact is that half of the Papua New Guinean eligible voting population will likely and have unfairly been deprived casting their votes and exercising their democratic right.

We MUST be patriotic and nationalistic in our approach towards decision making for the future of our country. This is a duty we owe to ourselves and our children.

This entire situation could have been avoided had Peter O’Neill stood by his cabinet and parliament resolutions. Peter O’Neill and Andrew Trawen should both be held responsible and accountable for the ill-prepared Electoral Roll and National Elections which are in disarray.

I challenge Peter O’Neill to stop crying over spilt milk. You have done injustice to this country. You have failed the people of Papua New Guinea.

I have always emphasized; “People will criticize me for decisions I make now, but in the future they will look back while they relax in the comforts of their homes and say, THANK YOU or WE SALUTE YOU, Belden Namah.

Belden Namah for Prime Minister. Full Support. We don’t need yoyo MPs, like all the MPs who moved over from the Somare Regime to form the new government, and weak MPs to lead the country. Those MPs moved over and started blaming GC Somare for failing PNG for his 9 years in power. They were part of his government. All of these MPs are Hypocrites, and absolutely corrupt! We need strong, determined leaders who can do radical changes to bring PNG absolutely out of corruption and stone age. Beldem Namah for PM Position. Period!

Let’s not forget that while the public debate about the deferral of elections was relatively fresh, earlier this year, Namah’s main line of reasoning to local media was that deferral was the best way for his government to implement its policies and stand its best chance of re-election.

Mr. Namah, well said but releasing such a press DOES NOT, and I repeat, DOES NOT cleanse you of your transgressions, DON’T FORGET, you have a million allegations that require a Press release like the above to clarify your name……………….the least you forget.

Everyone’s good for blaming each other when sh#@t hits the fan! Yet they’ve all spent time in the same cabinet more than once? Just another point scoring opportunity at the expense of PNG people..at least a circus has a talented ring master!

Belden Namah..your comments are true in very respsect and sense..our education is failing because of aussies…now they have done it with the electoral commison….what have these damn advisors been doing..giving ill advice to Trawen….Belden Namah..become prime minister and all aussie consultants will pack up and leave…shame on them…liars, crooks, and con artists here to destroy PNG

Even if Peter Oneill and The EC would have agreed for the deferral, the people of the Nation wouldn’t have allowed it because of the Political Instability and Continutional Crisis the Nation was in that time.
What has gone has already been gone and I believe not even the MPs will reverse that. Therefore, we all Papua New Guineans are in this together. We will not point Fingers. Not even Belden Namah is Perfect. We all make miskates beacuse we are Human. We will rise for our Nation together for a Difference. No greater damage has been made. Papua New Guineans can change our History together. God Bless PNG

‘Beula Opop’ – I think you’re quite right here. The deferral of elections for any reason would have been strongly opposed by the people of PNG on the grounds of constitutional validity.

In saying that, Namah’s issue is to do with the validity of the common roll. Deferring elections should not even be an option, because given the 5yrs the PNGEC has had to update the common roll, things should be in order.

Tavurvur – I agree with those sentiments. 5 years is more than sufficient time to update the common roll, such a lame excuse to suggest deferring the elections was the prefered option. Belden Namah is a master tactician and it is easily seen in his media release.

BN was quiet right in his call for for deferral of election. Environmental scanning has be done and he may have been advised of the anticipated out of the election and therefore such call were been made and PNG should have listen to him.

I agree with BN for those who missed out on the Elections. The EC was very well funded and had so many expensive advisors at the cost of the tax payers. ATrawen should be held responsible for the failed Electrol Rolls.
Peter O’neil is just as a puppet who dances to any music the crowd dances. This time the crowd were fed up of the inhouse hassle of who would b the PM.
Therefore, BN & PO r both saluted but bear in mind, we have yet to see the capabilities of both as PM. THE PEOLE NEED TO HAVE A NEW REGIME AND THAT SHALL BE DONE ONLY BY VOTING AT ITS OWN TIME.

‘Melki’ – I think we all agree that at the end of the day, PNG Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen is responsible for the good and the bad of Elections 2012. Despite what Namah said, the common roll should have been sorted out well in advance. Trawen had five years to do so. He obviously hasn’t sorted it out at all. His head should be on the chopping block. Rgds – Tavurvur.

Nice one belden always pointing the finger of blame on somebody else for your own incompetence
Why the hell do you need australia anyway to assist with the elections ?
and why do hold your grubby little trotters out for the hundreds of millions of dollars of aid every year when you country is so rich in mineral resources ?
because you are a greedy lying beggar pig you don’t give a damn about your people
the 800K AUD you threw down on the casino tables to get back into the VIP room could have gone a long way to helping PNG citizens

I support Mr Namah in all his actions, who can name me a person who bent all the laws? I like this type of leader. Sorry sapos u kros but tok yes ol taim ba nonap ksim u go 1pla hap. However, i support the PM as well for him doing fine things. Afterall, id like if Mr Oneil and Namah come together to work.. Right combination stret for the country.. Narapla rough to express his decisions na narapla sa stap isi na skelim and doesnt express his side of the story too much..

Mr. Balden Namah investors are worried sick if you are going to be in power
to become the next PM.
Critics say that you may discontinue timber , oil & gas investment and if that happens the whole of PNG will suffer .
I wish that won’t happen .